“The evidence abundantly shows that Mr. Trudeau knowingly sought to influence Ms. Wilson-Raybould both directly and through the actions of his agents.”

— Mario Dion, Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner

As Miley Cyrus would sing, “it came in like a wrecking ball” — the ethics commissioner’s investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s role in the SNC-Lavalin scandal.

That Trudeau has been judged to have violated the Conflict of Interest Act — the second proven case against him in less than two years — is not as surprising as some of the damning revelations in the report of Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion.

He found that the PM had used his position to try to influence Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to improperly further the interests of SNC-Lavalin. This was done by Trudeau, directly and indirectly, pressuring the AG to discontinue a criminal prosecution of the Quebec engineering firm and, instead, urging a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA).

The commissioner painstakingly reviewed a detailed timeline of events that began in September 2018, when Wilson-Raybould received a memo from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) setting out the reasons for not entering a DPA with SNC-Lavalin. Subsequent meetings, phone calls and encounters are all chronicled, including “several instances where Ms. Wilson-Raybould and her staff articulated what they believed to be inappropriate attempts to interfere politically in a criminal prosecution.“

Even though Wilson-Raybould never succumbed to the pressure, the prime minister was directly tagged with attempting improper influence in the now infamous exchange he had with her in a personal meeting. Other instances were analyzed, finding that Trudeau used his “authority and office to circumvent, undermine and discredit the decision of the DPP as well as the authority of Ms. Wilson-Raybould as the Crown’s chief law officer.”

In all, the commissioner concluded that four specific attempts were made to improperly influence the attorney general; “I find all of these tactics troubling,” he noted.

The report dropped a couple of bombshells. Despite the prime minister’s repeated assurances that he has fully cooperated with the ethics investigation, the commissioner revealed that the Privy Council Office, as recently as eight weeks ago, denied him access to “all cabinet confidences in respect of this investigation,” which prevented him from looking over all of the evidence.

The report also details some shifty manoeuvres inside the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). As PMO advisers, attempting to influence Wilson-Raybould, suggested that “someone like” recently retired Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin be retained to give advice or help mediate the situation, it turns out that they and SNC-Lavalin had already approached the former chief justice. While this was going on, two other retired supreme court justices had prepared legal opinions and advice for SNC-Lavalin which were already in the hands of PMO staff.

In classic Trudeau fashion, the PM says that while he is responsible for his actions in the SNC-Lavalin scandal, he did nothing wrong and is not apologetic. He had a good reason, he says: looking out for jobs.

Clearly, the prime minister sees nothing wrong with a politically well-connected Quebec Liberal company pulling the PMO’s strings in an attempt, at least, to interfere in a prosecution; at worst, obstruction of justice.

But this is no longer the responsibility of Justin Trudeau. It’s now on us. With an election nine weeks away, if this type of behaviour is acceptable, then re-elect this PM. If not, Trudeau should be sent packing.

John Gormley is a broadcaster, lawyer, author and former Progressive Conservative MP whose radio talk show is heard weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on 650 CKOM Saskatoon and 980 CJME Regina.

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